My favorite cafe in Worcester hands down. If you don't read the rest of my review then my #1…read morerecommendation is the Iced Caramel Macchiato with oat milk. It's so hard to find cafes that make good drinks with oat milk! Great service with staff that remembers me and makes a point to make small talk when I come in! They have delicious food and drinks with on their regular and specials menu which I love to go through and try. Great atmosphere, super cozy and never make you feel rushed. I love their bookstore selection as well as the other bookish related product like crosswords, puzzles, journals etc.

The food was just okay. But the atmosphere was a great vibe. Loved coming in there seeing the books…read morea people reminded me of a similar restaurant called Busboy and Poets in DC. I would recommend this place. What I like most is the two searing options. There is a dining room and there is a bar. Love it here.

Very strong coffee and okay pastries. I've heard good things about the mocha so I need to try that…read morein the future. I love that there's a drive thru, that's super convenient. The inside is cute and well maintained. There were lots of families when I went which is always a nice sign.

Brilla is our go to coffee shop in Holden. Coffee is consistently excellent hot or iced…read more Staff and atmosphere are wonderful. They also have a great roasting business.

Inviting space with a long showcase of treats in several categories, plenty of roomy tables, and a…read morelarge communal table. -- Muffins: I consider their blueberry muffin one of my favorites in Massachusetts, if not my #1. It's got just the right mix of bounce, density, and butteriness, without being too greasy. Big, fresh blueberries (not the shriveled kind). Plenty of crumbly streusel on top for extra taste and texture. Their mixed berry has multiple fruit presence and more of it, minus the streusel. Also very good. Sometimes the muffins are warm. Sometimes a little long in the tooth. -- Cakes: That's their claim to fame, and for good reason. They're more expensive than most, but so dense, rich, and heavy that a small slice goes a long way. My favorite is the chocolate raspberry decadence (pool of raspberry atop a deep, dark chocolate frosting). Or maybe the strawberry snowflake, which is like the best strawberry shortcake you ever had. -- Cupcakes: These often feature some of the same ingredients as the cakes, such as that killer chocolate ganache. Great for the toppings and fillings, though the cake part (especially if chocolate base) is often dry. -- Cookies: Noticeably less impressive, EXCEPT for the Linzer heart. Great flavor and texture in the raspberry and shortbread. -- Coffee: Good stuff. Not elite, but good, in heavy mugs with good feel. Service is a little lacking. Not so much because of rudeness, but because they're perpetually understaffed for the amount of business they do.

Highland street location: 1. Tried one of the summer…read morespecials "tiramisu latte" with oatmilk and it was delicious and a reasonable price ($7.55). 2. Great gluten-free options. I tried the gluten free chocolate chip cookie and it was a good portion, soft and had lots of chocolate chips, also at a reasonable price ($4.82) 3. Very friendly staff and lots of options for both drinks and food 4. Lots of seating and has a bar to add in any sugar or toppings on your drink. Great place to study or sit on your laptop! 5. Parking was a little tricky as you can only park on one side of the street but didn't take long to get a spot right in front of the cafe!

Went here for a book club meeting and was pleasantly surprised. There were tons of options and most…read moremenu items could be customized, too. I ordered the chicken pesto flatbread and it was yummy. It was super easy to order from the table & our food was brought out to us. It was the best for the group of us getting food since we could all order separately without having to split payment. Speaking of payment, when ordering online, they take Apple Pay so you didn't even need to take out a card! There's lot of seating and free cold water. Would definitely come again.

Great menu, cool inside and out location, plenty of parking…read more We had a couple of luscious bowls, but the chocolate chip cookie was very salty. Sandwiches next time!

I owe an updated review here. My past review had been negative but I welcomed to give Acoustic Java…read moreanother chance and I'm glad I did. Their coffee remains consistent and they brew the best bean in town. Truly a hidden gem...literally. They're hidden in the back of Rotmans (old furniture store) and you'll never see it from the main road. I drink coffee on a regular basis and could probably consider myself an amateur coffee snob lol. Lately I have made a purchase for teas and my wife didn't like the selections I've chose so they were welcoming and honored an exchange. I just had to pay the difference which I was glad to. We had good company with us and so there's also ample seating in the next room--you can enter from the front of the building as you enter through the main entrance or go through the back. Cheers

I really love finding hidden gems like Acoustic Java. I am a sucker for a good book store, AND a…read moregood coffee shop, and Acoustic Java is both! I stopped by to get a couple of coffees to go, and a pastry. The staff was very patient and pleasant to chat with - something I really miss with the larger coffee chains. The coffees were made exactly as I requested, and the pastry was warmed up and wrapped in a foil to maintain the heat. I really love the attention to detail. I'll note that I noticed they use Monin brand syrups (my favorite!). They are not the cheapest option, so it goes to show that the folks at Acoustic Java care about quality over maximizing profit. The location is great - a bit hidden, but the industrial vibe just fits for a small roasting company. I love that the roastery is visible through the glass panels. The packaged beans are all laid out for you to easily read the labels and shop. I love that they carry quality tea for non-coffee drinkers/tea lovers. The merch is also cute, I was very tempted to add yet another coffee shop tote bag to my hoard. They carry a huge variety of used and new books - and they offer the most unique pricing I've ever seen. You can look up the cost of the book online - so long as the condition is roughly the same, that's how much they will charge you for the book (+ tax)! That's amazing, and I don't know how they can possibly even make money with this policy, but with the giant chain and online retailers, it's really the best incentive to get folks to support local. I think one of the biggest highlights here, on top of the great coffee, ambiance, and service, is that they offer various tastings, classes, and live music events. Personally, I feel like this is key in building a community, and I love that they do this. You can look up the different events on their website, some of which are free to attend. I can definitely see this as a place to come read a book over some tea, catch up with a friend over coffee, or take a date to a barista class for a unique experience.

Service was okay overall and the staff seemed friendly. There were just a few things that could've…read morebeen handled a bit better, but it wasn't a bad experience. Hoping to see some improvements next time

There aren't many cozy cafes in Worcester, so coming here it was very refreshing. We used to live…read morein Boston! Once we got to the cafe, we were greeted warmly from the cashier/barista. The place is a whole vibe--pretty hipster, but in a great way. There's a barber shop in it, which is funny. There was also a good amount of people sprawled throughout the cafe on their laptops working away. Outside also has a nice patio. We sat here and sipped our coffees, as the warm morning sun helped wake us up. My fiance and I ordered two small iced americanos, $3.48 each. It has a tinge of sourness, but having added more water, it wasn't too strong. Maybe we will try asking for less water next time or even a quad shot! We will absolutely be returning for more--possibly even to work!

To paraphrase Charles Dickens and also Mary Kate and Ashley, was not the best of times, it was also…read morenot the worst of times. This was the very definition of fine. Space was nice and airy, art was cute, food was solidly mediocre. Everything was missing out on seasoning, except the tomato soup. The soup was solid. Bathrooms were quite dirty. The food cost too much.

Can't wait to stop by next time I'm coming through Worchester! Olive and feta toast was great!…read moreSalad had great dressing and was nice dark crunchy greens. Service was delightful and I like that you order at the counter. Cool space and plenty of seating, clean bathrooms.

Been here twice now and can't wait to go back to try more…read more Had a latte from here once but didn't love it. But wondering if it was just the type it was. Would give their coffee another try in future. The pastries were amazing though. The lemon bar - perfection. The brunch braid was okay - I liked the concept but I don't know if I'd get it again. Then came for lunch. Had a chunky monkey smoothie - it was a little watery in the middle but still delicious. The cranberry walnut chicken salad on sourdough was exactly what I was craving. And that sourdough - so good! The place itself is really cute and they sell some local items. There's a blind date with a book section and they sell Hoppy Pop (which is incredible). Everyone was super nice and friendly.

Gonna keep this as short as I can without being too concise but..,, A oh my goodness!!!!!! So good…read more! They honestly had me at one simple question about my iced coffee order - "do you want water ice cubes or coffee ice cubes?" PFFT!! is that even a question? That's my gut reactor response to this question each time I'm asked and it's so made me a customer for lifffeeee. Like if you live in boston or nyc I bet this is commonplace for you and you can enjoy a laugh over this as you grip your phone pinky up - but for sweet old Holden mass it's like a tractor beam and I'm stepping in... willingly. my parents greatly enjoy the pastry from this place and I try to surprise them with something new each time. Haven't had anything I haven't liked thus far. I know there are drive through options nearby but this is 100000% worth the stop !